Secret Rules of the European Spa and Sauna - Ultimate Guide

How to fully relax and enjoy the hidden sauna and resort culture when traveling in Europe. Learn to sauna like a local!

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About This Course

Published 2/2015
English

Course Description

This course is a guided to tour for finding health, peace, relaxation, and healing in European spas and wellness centers.

The European sauna is a hidden treasure that many foreign tourists don’t know about, or have wrong impressions of. Many of the best saunas are visited only by locals who know the customs and rituals that maximize their health and well-being.

In this course, you will travel into these special facilities with an experienced guide - an American who has lived for seven years in Europe and makes weekly visits to the sauna.

In The Secret Rules of the European Spa and Sauna you will get the knowledge so that you will be comfortable finding and fitting in to the wellness culture that Europeans (and few others) enjoy.

When you are in Europe, you will feel confident knowing what is expected of a sauna visitor. You will be able to fully relax and enjoy the hidden sauna and resort culture when traveling across Europe.

These lessons build upon one another and you will learn how to dress, what to bring, when and where to undress, how to interact with other sauna guests, learn what a Saunameister does, and know how to best enjoy a sauna infusion ceremony.

You will be able to truly sauna like a local!

The course features extensive tips and patient guidance through all the steps that may be uncomfortable or even strange to someone who did not grow up in a wellness culture that includes occasional nudity.

The course includes the 10 golden rules of sauna etiquette that will help you avoid embarrassing situations.

There is a guided Google Earth video tour of some of the top sauna facilities in Europe. Form elaborate Asian-themed sauna houses to neighborhood spas that only the locals know about.

You will learn the four phases of a sauna session so that you can achieve the greatest health benefits from a sauna visit.

The course covers special topics like the Banya, honey and salt infusions and the celebrated Aufguss rituals with aromatics.

Dig in, you are going to love this course.

What are the requirements?

An open mind about other cultures

What am I going to get from this course?

Enter a European sauna knowing the customs and what to expect

Feel confident in planning a healthy visit at a sauna facility

What to bring and what not to bring to a sauna

Master the 10 golden rules of sauna etiquette

The four phases of a sauna session

Get the greatest health benefits from a sauna visit

How saunas work

At what times am I expected to be naked?

Learn the rituals for each type of sauna - what to do and what not to do

What is an Aufguss Infusion and how do I have to behave to enjoy one?

Know how to act during a sauna infusion session

The best saunas in Germany

Sensible sauna supplements

What is the target audience?

Adults who a planning a travel visit to Europe

What you get with this course?

Not for you? No problem.30 day money back guarantee.

Forever yours.Lifetime access.

Learn on the go.Desktop, iOS and Android.

Get rewarded.Certificate of completion.

Curriculum

Saunas have been an integral part of European life for many years and are widely regarded as a holistic treatment with benefits for body and mind alike. They are also the perfect way to unwind after a day of hiking and exploring.

To the locals, saunas are as much a part of daily life as taking a shower or drinking a coffee.

However, if you’re from a country which doesn’t embrace ‘sauna culture’ to quite the same degree, the idea of disrobing and stepping into a hot cabin (possibly with a bunch of strangers) might seem a little daunting.

This course will help you understand why saunas are so beneficial – and to ensure you feel fully comfortable using them when you visit Europe.

Saunas are typically inside a building that has individual, wooden sauna cabins. These facilities can be simple or elaborate. Some feature special sauna cabins with different temperatures, and others may have relaxing music and ambient lights that change color.

To use a sauna, you simply disrobe and sit or recline, in temperatures ranging between 70 °C (158 °F) and 100 °C (212 °F). The dry heat of the sauna promotes sweating, which has great health benefits for the immune system and skin, and it induces feelings of relaxation and wellbeing.

You will usually find a poster or information board up in sauna areas explaining precisely what you need to do.

People generally take up to three sauna sessions in one visit, lasting anything from 5 to 20 minutes each. The timing really depends on your personal preference. The ‘rest periods’ in between should last at least as long as the previous sauna session; 20 to 30 minutes is recommended. A short sauna visit takes two to three hours.

A typical sauna facility will offer a variety of dry saunas and steam saunas.

For additional fees, you can get massages, and there may also be special steam rooms where you and your partner can lather each other in honey and salt, or mud, or even coffee grounds! Discovering the variety of offerings of a new sauna has is part of the fun.

The sauna is for everyone to enjoy, and is priced accordingly and reasonably. Typically, saunas sell blocks of time such as two hours, four hours, or a day pass. A typical price at a normal (not fancy) sauna can be around 10-12 Euros for two hours, 15-17 Euros for four hours, and 18-20 Euros for a day pass. The price may be more or less than this, depending on the individual sauna.

Northern Europeans will go to the sauna with spouses/partners, family members, friends, and even work colleagues. Sometimes children will be present, but it seems many frown upon this because they want to relax. Many saunas have an age limit of 16 years old. Saunas are where Europeans can find common ground and everyone is on the same level. Without clothes on, you can’t tell who’s rich or poor or even guess at one’s profession.

Most saunas will give you a waterproof watchband with a locker number, a locker key, and an electronic disc thing where the “watch” normally is for entering and exiting the sauna area. Place the disc to the reader to enter and exit through the turnstiles.

Depending on the sauna, there may be a common changing room where both sexes change, or there may be separate changing rooms for women and men.

There may be private changing cabins. Change into your robe and sandals, and lock your stuff in your locker.

You must take a shower to clean yourself both before and after the sauna. If someone notices that you haven’t, you may get a stern warning.

Typical sauna baths request you wear swimwear in the thermal pools and robes in the lounge areas. Swimwear is not permitted in the saunas and showers.

The wearing of a bathrobe or towel is often compulsory in restaurant areas.

You will need to bring sauna shoes, two towels and a robe at a minimum. Larger facilities often will rent you these items, but many local saunas do not.

BE PREPARED TO SEE NAKED PEOPLE. All you will see, the entire time you are in a sauna, are naked people. Sweaty, naked people. If your sauna happens to have a bar and a food station, you’ll probably see naked people drinking beer and eating bratwurst.

But just have fun with the experience and, and relax! Your skin will feel great afterwards and you’ll feel refreshed and renewed.

Who can use saunas? Adults of all ages use public saunas. Children under 16 are usually not permitted to use one – if in doubt, do check the age limit before entering. Pregnancy: The advice with regard to pregnant women and saunas varies from country to country. While women who are in an established pregnancy in Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Italy can use saunas if they are used to them, in the UK and Ireland, for example, the government does not sanction the use of saunas, steam rooms or jacuzzis during any stage of pregnancy. Medical Conditions: People with severe cardiac problems must seek medical advice before using a sauna. Anyone with acute fevers, inflammations, lung diseases or phlebitis should not use saunas. However, there are a number of medical conditions which can benefit from sauna use, including asthma, rheumatism, arthritis and back/spinal complaints. If in doubt talk to your doctor! Health Benefits Saunas have numerous benefits for both mind and body. Here is a summary of some of the main reasons why they are so popular in parts of continental Europe. Physical benefits Raising your body’s temperature in the sauna increases the production of white blood cells and cytokine, substances that assists the body’s immune system. Cold and flu viruses therefore don’t stand much of a chance with sauna enthusiasts. Saunas stimulate the heart and circulatory system (in much the way that exercise does – but without the effort!). The switching between heat and cold in sauna use helps make your body more efficient at regulating itself against changes in weather and other temperature fluctuations. Sweating is also great for your health. If an adult takes in three sessions in the sauna, he produces up to 1.5 litres of sweat and therefore excretes a number of toxins, including caffeine, alcohol and metabolic deposits. Naturally, this does mean that some other important minerals are also lost. Drinking fruit juice or mineral water, however, directly after the sauna, will quickly restore the imbalance. The chill factor Heat helps the body to produce more endorphins, the so-called “feel-good hormone”. Particularly during the winter, when a lot of people fight against depression and inertia, a visit to the sauna can give your soul a real boost. Your skin will thank you Saunas can also be a fantastic natural cosmetic. The dry heat opens the pores of the skin and helps to shed impurities and dead skin cells. Sauna users often comment that their skin has a ‘glow’ about it – and dermatologists believe that regular visits to the sauna can even slow down the skin’s aging process.

The sauna experience that Europeans practice is called the Finnish Sauna - and for a good reason.

Sauna is the only Finnish word that has been internationally accepted by other languages.

The first modern wooden saunas were built around the 5th century when northern European tribes abandoned their nomadic lifestyle and settled down.

When Americans hear the word “sauna” we generally think of those small, wooden rooms attached to the locker room of our local gym, with barely enough space to fit three of your closest friends, and where a swimsuit and a towel are required.

For centuries, the sauna has been a place for physical and spiritual cleansing, for getting bare in all senses of the word, and entering the core of humanity.

The Finns believe that due to its social nature and relaxing effect, the sauna is an excellent place for negotiations, and exchange of ideas and opinions.

They believe that doing business in the sauna is conducive to mutual understanding and consensus.

U.S. and U.K. travelers should put a sauna visit at the top of their list when visiting, because it’s a way to gain insight into the culture as well as one’s own.

If you open yourself to the experience, you may just find you learn about your own relationship to your body and what your culture says about your body. Plus, it’s a refreshing way to kick the jet lag after a long flight.

There are all body types and ages in the sauna – young, old, and all shapes and sizes. There are just normal people.

German culture as a whole has no problem with nudity. Nudity in the sauna is not about sex, but about relaxing and health. If you enter a normal, typical sauna, you will see there is not much about it that is sexy.

You will find people just minding their own business and relaxing. The only one who will be staring is you.

Many saunas are mixed, which means men and women are nude together. For women who may be uncomfortable with this, there are often days or designated hours for women only, or there may be a private area/sauna cabin for women only

If you’re not used to parading around your home naked all the time, being in a European sauna is going to be difficult at first.

You will awkwardly adjust your towel or robe to cover your most intimate parts, and you’ll walk out of the locker room feeling exposed and vulnerable.

And then you’ll look around and notice you are the ONLY person with any clothes on (with the exception of any other tourist that may be visiting the sauna). Which makes you stand out like a sore thumb. You will be broadcasting the fact that you are an American tourist.

If the humiliation of being the only one too modest to drop your robe and experience the freedom of being naked is not enough, sitting in one of the sauna rooms creeping upwards of 180 degrees F. will do the trick.

Nude bathing is a key feature of the sauna culture, and Finns consider it completely natural.

They believe that wearing a swimsuit to a sweat bath is unhygienic and as uncomfortable as taking a shower with your socks on!

10. Close the door. Nothing upsets some Europeans more than having someone leave and not closing the door behind them. It is also offensive when someone enters and then stops to chat with someone else while holding the door open.

When the sauna door is open, it does not take long for the heat to spill out of the sauna. It’s even worse in a steam room.

It may take ten minutes or more for the sauna to recover from the door being open for just a minute.

If you are going in or out, please do it quickly, and make sure the door closes firmly behind you.

Also, be sure to leave your bath shoes outside of the cabin or you risk getting a stern reminder from a local.

9. Sit on a towel. You are naked during a sauna session but on’t forget you still need a towel to sit or lay on while you are in the room.

Bring a towel in the sauna or steam room that is large enough to make a barrier between your body and the benches. If you’re sitting upright, a small towel is enough. If you’re going to lay down, you probably need a longer sauna towel. It will protect you from what others have left behind, and keep you from leaving things behind.

Make sure you have a second towel that you leave outside the sauna to use when you off after your session.

The pro tip on towel use is to remember to use your sauna towel only in the dry sauna to keep it fresh.

8. The sauna is not a clothes dryer. The sauna is not your personal clothes dryer. do not bring sweaty clothes, wet bathing suits and towels to hang on the railing around the sauna stove to dry. I have never seen this behavior in Europe, but have heard from others that this poor behavior happens elsewhere.

7. Silence is golden. The sauna is for relaxation and introspection. The expectation is for the room to remain quiet. Brief, quiet questions asking about the Aufguss infusion or adjusting the heat of the room are OK. Having an extended discussion with your partner is not.

6. A sauna is bath. A sweat bath A sauna is a way to clean and exercise your skin. The best way to sauna is naked with all of your skin exposed to the heat. A nude sauna is more hygienic and better for you too.

5. Keep your hands and eyes to yourself. The Finns have a saying, “behave in a sauna like you would in church.” This is pretty self-explanatory, even if you are a couple enjoying the sauna with others. Touching and other signs of affection will make your neighbors uncomfortable.

4. Leave your electronics outside. Leave your camera phone in your locker. Talking on the phone at in a sauna facility is a big no-no. Also a camera phone will make others feel very uncomfortable Besides, the sauna environment can damage electronics.

A sauna is a often place where it can be hard to find a clock. That is intentional. A sauna is meant to be an unmeasured, uninterrupted relaxation experience.

3. No spitting on the rocks. I’ve never seen this happen before, and I shouldn’t have to say this it. But just don’t do it.

2. Shower before you sauna. Be considerate to the others who use the sauna with you: Take a shower first. It is amazing how some people see nudity as dirty, but don’t see actual dirt on their bodies as something to clean up. If you are coming in from outside, shower first to remove sweat, perfume smells and dirt. If you are coming in from the pool, rinse the chlorine off your body before entering the sauna. If you’re wearing a swimsuit or some other clothing in the sauna, take it off while you shower.

Also don’t forget to take at least a quick rinse off after you sauna before you get into the pool.

1. Remember to ask first before you do anything that will affects others. Want to add some aufguss water to the rocks? Ask your neighbors first.

Want to change the heat setting? Ask first.

Sauna’s can get crowded right before an aufguss session.

Be sure to gently ask before you move to a free spot right next to someone. Especially if they are of the opposite sex.

Some aufguss sessions feature a salt application step as part of the ritual.

The purpose is simple - the salt is used as an exfoliant to make your skin smoother

Salt application in a sauna can look bewildering to those unfamiliar with the routine.

Other sauna visitors will notice that has just aufguss has begun and when only a few minutes later they see 30 naked people suddenly emerge rub salt on each other’s skin and then jump back into the cabin.

There is a reason for this. Salt is corrosive, so any salt application must be done outside of the cabin between infusion poutings.

At the liquidrome in Berlin, coarse-grained mineral salt is used and the saunameister will ladle out a large handful for you and will tell you (in German) to avoid putting salt on your genitals, your face or near any open wounds.

That’s important information! I found out the hard way just how valuable that knowledge is. And that’s why I am telling you in English.

The salt acts as a disinfectant and the skin is peeled by the rubbing. When you return to the cabin after the scrub, the saunameister will do at least one more infusion allowing the salt to melt into your sweaty skin. Conifer oils are normally featured during a salt infusion.

A salt infusion should be among your first aufguss sessions in order to get the full health benefits from spending a day at the sauna.

At some facilities a special salt sauna room might also be featured. The most common sight is a low-temperature sauna cabin that has at least one wall made of Himelayen salt bricks. This salt room is designed to be therapeutic.

At some facilities a salt or coffee ground scrub is more common in the steam baths and hammams areas. Coffee ground and chocolate infusions are popular in the Victorian-era steam room of the Neptuebad in Cologne

The corrosive scrubs are easily washed away afterward in a tiles room like this so there is no need to go outside and re-enter.

Honey infusion

The honey infusion ceremony is similar to the salt infusion.

You can typically ask a saunameister for a pot of honey before any aufguss session but do save this honey infusion for your last sauna session of the day.

Like before, honey is applied outside the cabin usually after at least one infusion.

You cover the whole body with the honey until it becomes very fluid through the heat It smells good and sinks into our skin when you go back in for the final infusion. Citrus oils are normally used for the honey infusion ritual

Afterwards, you will want to rest in the cool down are for at least 15 minutes before showering. Air dry if possible to leave your skin feeling silky smooth.

Birch ritual in a Banya

The Veick infusion ceremony features Russian traditions At the Claudia Therme in Cologne you will see a special cabin called a Banya.

The Banya is a hybrid between the Finnish sauna and the Turkish bath. It is cooler than the former and drier than the latter.

There is a lot more water used and people often massage themselves or others with branches and leaves from white birch, oak, or eucalyptus in order to improve the circulation.

The dried branches are moistened with very hot water before use. Sometimes in summer, fresh branches are offered.

The principle is simple: the steam room has a stove with smoldering stones; water is poured onto them to produce hot, dense steam and temperatures will often exceed 90 degrees Celsius.

Once you have built up a good sweat, the hot and cold contrast becomes all-important.

Traditionally, people jumped in a nearby lake or rolled in the snow in winter. At the Claudius you will find a cold plunge pool and ice buckets outside.

The authentic "birch ritual" is a particularly special experience at Claudius This two-hour ritual takes place several times a week in small groups of 6 up to 12 persons.

They employ a specially trained 'banschiki' who will you through the ritual.

• The first sauna session traditionally begins with a swig of vodka • The traditional venick massage is carried out in the second session • The salt and honey peeling rituals take place in the third session • Tea and treats are served in the breaks between sessions.